New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-07
PRICE THREE CENTS.
SOME ALARM IN THE CASINO.
A FIRE NEAR BIZ DIsTURBs THE AUDIENCE.
SMOKE ENTERS THE BUILDING AND AN ExcIrED


SMOKE ENTERS THE BUILDING AND AN EXCITED
MAN SHOUTS FIRE.
1he 60Oth performance of "Erminie1 had al
unpleasant interruption last evening, and but foR
the cooness of some of the audience and of Francis
Wilson there might have been panic The
Casino was packed Everybody seemed deters
mined to make the most of the occasion and no
one seemed in jollier mood than Wilson himself.
When he came upon the stage in the full-Aedged
glory Of thief he received greeting that must
have gladdened his heart. Wave after wave Of
applause rolled from the audience, and it was a
long time before it could be checked sufficiently
for Mr.. Wilson to go on with his lines. He was
just about to proceed when some one called for .
speech, and thousands of voices took up tho cry.
After holding up his hands and indicating with
facial contortions and bodily spasms his utter
inability to speak, Mr.. Wilson walked to the foot.
lights and spoke few characteristic sentences,
He had just finished speaking when there was
loud rattle of fire engines in front of the Casino
The engines stopped close by and in a few moments
there were cries of fire in the street.
subdued excitement took possession of tha
large audience and mon and women looked ~
each other in alarm. The big fire recently in the
Metropolitan storage warehouse, which djoined
the Casino, was fresh in the minds OF everyone,
and the uncertainty as to what had called out
uie engines ana tnc nearneSS oil the IRE cauSe1
great uneasiness. This further increased
when the smell of smoke became plain, and in
little while could be coming in the open
windows in the roof and on the broadway side
of the building. People moved in their seats and
began talking to each other. The orchestra struck
up the famous thieves duet and Mr. Wilson began
to sing, but the sound of his voice as well as
the music Of the orchestra lost in the mur.
muir of voices in the auditorium.
Several men who sat near the orchestra got
up and began in frantic way to make the
way through the crowd. Women screamed and
several tainted, and cries we're heard in various
parts of the building. Then man stood up on a
seat in the back part of the parquet and shouted
fire > This all that needed, and the
audience, wedged and jammed together soli1ly.
started for the exits. L0comOtion was well-nigh
impossible because OF the dense mass and the
inactivity of those the doors, who, knowing
that they were in safe place, would not
move along. When the excitement and confusion
were at the highest pitch. Mr. Wilson came the
footlights stamped his feet on the floor, shouted in
the loudest tones he could raise and kept 1t up
until the faces of the people were turned toward
him and they became quoted in a measure. Then
he said:
Mr. Aronson informs Inc that there is fire
some distance down Broadway. The Casino is per-
fectly safe and there Is not the slightest danger.
II would take several days for the fire to burn up
this far, and with your kind PERMISSION we will go
on with the performance"
The orchestra then went on playing the duet. In
u
no danger. the excitement died out and the per-
formance was continued.
The man who shouted Fire." after alarming the
audience ran down the exit leading TO Broadway.
Near the street q broken window was found, and it
is supposed that in his mental agitation he jumped
out of the window. No one was hurt.
The Gauss Of all the trouble was fire in the
Edison Machine Works. Nos 1l5 and III West
Thirty -sevcnth-st. 1t is two-story brick bulId.
ing and Is used as stOrehouse for electrical
machinery. Two alarms were sent out. The fire
was ,Oon brought under control and the damage to
the building and stock is estimated at $4,000.
fully covered by insurance